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Project I am going to do, need some suggestions please

07-26-2007, 07:26 PM

Since I started doing appliance repair, I have often found that it would be helpful to have 270 lb gorilla named Guido tagging around with me when I do oven repairs, especially double wall ovens. We have this cart
that we use to pull them out to work on them. Not very sturdy, as you can see, and tough to use in some of the more poorly designed (at least when it comes to 400+ lb oven installation and removal) kitchens.

I've been thinking about this for a while now, and came up with the idea of a hydraulically operated lift table. I came across this one on eBay, and since their store was 4 miles off the route I was taking back from picking up my welders, I thought I would stop in to check it out. I talked them into giving me the eBay price ($89). I would save the shipping cost -$55- and I now have my prototype. Here are the specs on it:

Now, one thing you'll notice is the last spec, 128 lbs. Without the box, prob is 125. Not exactly something that one person would like to haul around, not a whole lot easier than just moving it with the cart we use now.

Seeing as these things weigh over 400 lbs, I like the idea of it being able to handle 660 lbs, good to have a little reserve built in. The table on it is 32x20", so it's a little wider than it needs to be, 28-30" would be better, and a 20" depth is fine as it can overhang a little, they have flat bottoms. Easier to maneuver in some of the tighter kitchens

What I need to do is to pretty much make this thing, approx the same dims, maybe a little smaller, but it needs to lose (ideally) about 50-60 lbs, and still have the same capacity.

I was thinking of making (some/most/all) it in Aluminum, that would certainly cut the weight back a bit. One thing I need to do is break it down somewhat, to see what the individual components weigh, i.e. table, hydraulics, frame, lift beams, etc. Once that is done, I'd be able to see where I could lose some weight but still keep the strength, by choosing the correct materials. I don't want to go exotic like titanium or things like that.

Anyone have any suggestions as to improving my methodology, or on materials to use to achieve my objectives? I will be attaching a removable slide board to it, to make it easier to slide the ovens off and on.

Comment

Just dug out Northern's Spring/Summer Master catalog. They've got 18 different design tables, some of which have variations, to the basic table. Weight capacities range from about 300 for the smallest (cheapest) to over 2000 lbs for some of the fancier units. Electric lifts, hydraulic lift, screw lifts, you name it. Pages 324 to page327.

Should get some good ideas there.

Heck, they've even got one with an electronic scale. You could tell the lady of the house how much her turkey weighs.

Comment

Sorry, first time thru I read weight to mean capacity. After rereading I went back. They have one (similar to your pic) with a 660# cap. that weighs 130#. Most do weigh more. Looks like quite a few of the lifts could be put on a diet simply by changing out the top with aluminum.

Have you considered modifying an existing cart (making the handle removable) and just moving the cart on a hand truck (like you move refrigs).

This came to mind since I just moved (by myself) a new 300# air compressor from my trailer into the back corner of my shop. Only real challenging thing there was how top heavy the unit was.

Comment

any chance of altering the design to use a screw type jack insted of a hydrolic one?? it would defenetly cut down on wait. you could set it up to be turned with a heavy duty cordless drill with a socket atachment. i run up and down my truck screw jack with my dewalt cordless screw gun all the time and its lifting a bit more than 400lbs.
just some thing to add to the think tank.

thanks for the help
......or..........
hope i helped
sigpic feel free to shoot me an e-mail direct i have time to chat.james@newyorkmetalart.comsummer is here, plant a tree. if you don't have space or time to plant one sponsor some one else to plant one for you. a tree is an investment in our planet, help it out.
JAMES

Comment

any chance of altering the design to use a screw type jack insted of a hydrolic one?? it would defenetly cut down on wait. you could set it up to be turned with a heavy duty cordless drill with a socket atachment. i run up and down my truck screw jack with my dewalt cordless screw gun all the time and its lifting a bit more than 400lbs.
just some thing to add to the think tank.

After thinking about it a minute i was thinking the same thing but you beat me to it. For ideas considering a screw type jack I would check out hf transmission jacks they make in that style. I will see if I can get you a link

Comment

Thanks for the links and the ideas, I appreciate them. I checked it out, looks like an interesting idea. Not sure what the hydraulic unit in the current one weighs, the one in the link comes in at about 33 lbs complete (and has a 450 lb capacity, I would have to look at the next bigger one to be able to do around 650), which leaves me about 30-40 lbs for the rest of the cart, to keep it around my goal weight. I could prob strip off a few things to save a few pounds, of course.

Thanks for the ideas, keep em coming!

Comment

With these ovens if you built your idea what about a counter balance. If you get to much weight on the front end wouldn't that tip it over; or are two guys still going to have to lift the oven on to the table? However if you have to put a counterbalance in to steady it then why not make just the front end of a forklift (aluminum) and then use the screw gun to raise and lower. It wouldn't be that big nor that heavy and you could assemble or disassemble right there. Its sort of like the engine hoist idea hey ya there ya go with a hydraulic cylinder to raise and lower. It takes about 10 to 20 minutes to set up an engine hoist. Only yours would look way cooler and very professional. You know something alha I'm start'n to love this idea already. Hopefully this helps ya out.

Comment

I have thought about making something like this also. Maybe start with a dolly with an extended base that can locked down while being used as not to have it tip over when loaded. Now, add a dual rail vertically to hold a set of forks like a fork lift. The forks may be lifted with a crank cable hoist, inexpensive 120 v hoist you can get at HF, or similar. Use it as double line and it should do the job. The base and forks should either fold or be removable for easy transport of the dolly. Plus the dolly can be used to transport the oven even up steps.

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Guys, thanks again, love the ideas for me. The good news is that we almost never have to deliver them, we just repair them. Most of what we use the cart shown above for is to hold it in place, it slides out of the hole onto it, then pull it out of the way to work on it. It's pretty much in place, we don't need to move it too far, just enough to get to all sides, especially the back.